Apparatus for manufacturing sulfuric acid.



PATENTED SEPT. l, 1903.

J. B. F. HERRESHOFP. APPARATUS OR MANUFACTURING SULPURIC ACID.

APPLIGATION PILBD MAY B, 1903.

NO MODEL,

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ivo. 737,626.

tartan STATES atented September 1, 1903;.'

PAfrEnrr OFFICE.

.IOIIN B. FRANCIS HERRESHOFF, OF NEWT YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO GEN- ERALCHEMICAL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEV YORK.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SULFURIC ACID.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,626, datedSeptember 1, 1903.

Application filed May 8| 1903. Serial No. 1561136. (No model.)

To all whom it' may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. FRANCIS HER- RESHOFF, a citizen of theUnited States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county,and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Apparatus for the Manufacture of Sulfuric Acid, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of sulfuric acid by theabsorption process, and has. for its object to provide an apparatus forcontinuously producing liquid sulfuric acid in an economical manner andwith a practically complete absorption of the sulfuric anhydrid from thegaseous mixture containing the same.

My invention also contemplates the provision of automatically-operatingmeans for regulating and supplying the proper amount of absorbing liquidacid.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, which is adiagrammatic elevation of a plant embodying my invention with parts insection.

The absorbing-tower A may be of any suitable construction and is filledwith irregular pieces of suitable material, such as coke, (indicated atB.) The gaseous mixture containing sulfuric anhydrid (also generallyother gases, chiefly nitrogen and oxygen) is introduced at the bottom ofthe absorption-tower through the inlet C and is caused to pass throughthe absorption-tower in the usual way. In the upper portion of the towerI locate a spraying or distributing device D, through which liquid acidis discharged in the shape of numerous jets to trickle down over thecoke or other material B and to absorb the anhydrid, which travels inthe opposite direction. The unabsorbed gases,which consist chiefly ofnitrogen and oxygen, escape through a pipe E, locatedat the top of thetower A. The gases leaving the tower through this outlet are practicallyfree from sulfuric anhydrid, as the latter has been absorbed in itsentirety by the liquid acid. This liquid sulfuric acid is supplied froma tank Gr, which is connected with the distributing device D by a pipeH. A needle-valve I or equivalent device controls the speed with whichliquid acid passes into the absorptiontower. This inlet-valve, as shown,has a stern which 'screws into a stationary bracket J, so that the valvemay be adj usted manually'.

The strong acid which results from the absorption of the anhydrid by theacid trickling over the material B is discharged through a pipe K into acompartment L of a tank L, provided with a partition l?, which separatessaid compartment L from another compartment L2. The partition F is ofless height than the walls of the tank L, so that the liquid acidissuing from the pipe K will after filling the compartment L overdowinto the compartment L2. The acid collected in the compartment L2 isconducted to a manifold or other distributing device M and is thendischarged into a cooling-tank N. To this portion of the acid I add aquantity of water or weak acid sufficient to reduce the strength of theacid in the tank N to the strength which the acid originally had in thetank G. This diluting agent, whether it be water or weak acid, ispreferably introduced in the compartment L2 of the tank L, as by meansof a pipe O. In practice the portion of the strong acid which passesinto the compartment L2 is much larger than that which is withdrawn fromthe compartment L as the final product in the manner describedhereinafter.

An overflow-pipe P,preferably leading from the bottom of the tank N, soas to take the cool portion of the liquid acid, is employed to conveysaid acid to another tank Q, which I will term the regulator-tank. Inthis tank is arranged a float R, which is operatively connected with avalve S, controlling an outlet-pipe T, leading from the tank L. Theoperative connection may consist of a wire U, passing over rollers Vaudconnected with a lever W, which engages the valvestem. A weight X keepsthe wire U taut and has a tendency to open the valve S when the floatrises. When, however, the oat sinks, it will pull up the weight X andclose the valve S. It will therefore be seen that `the float willautomatically maintain a predetermined level in the regulating-tank Q byopening or closing the valve S, so that the portion of strong acid whichgoes to the cooling-tank N will be in proper ratio to that portion ofthe strong acid which is discharged through the outlet T. The acid whichiiows through the outlet T constitutes the output or product of theplant and is received in suitable receptacles, being first passed into acoolingtank Y of any suitable construction.

Within the regulating-tank Q is located a pump Z, preferably of thecentrifugal type; but I might employ any style of pump, the suction-portof which Would be connected with the tank Q. This pump has adischargepipe a, leading to the supply-tank G. In the latter I arrangeanother oat q, from Which a wire u leads over rollers o to a devicewhich controls the speed of the pump Z. In the specific instance shownthis controller consists of a rheostat b, having electrical connectionsc with the electric motor CZ, the shaft e of Which directly drives thepump Z. With this construction should the iioat q fall the speed of themotor d and of the pump Z will be increased, so as to restore the levelof the liquid in the supply-tank G toits normal height. Similarly shouldthe level of the liquid rise too high on account of the pump Z feedingtoo much acid the rheostat Will be operated to reduce the speed of thepump.

In practice I may employ acid of, say, ninety-seven per cent. in thesupply-tank G. This acid as it absorbs the anhydrid in the tower A wouldbecome heated to, say, 145 Fahrenheit and increase in strength to, say,ninety-eight per cent. The final product of the plant received at theoutlet T would therefore be ninety-eight per cent. acid. The amount ofwater added through the pipe O Would be such as to again restore theoriginal strength of the acid--that is, ninetyseven per cent. Amanually-operated valve f might be provided for regulating from time totime the proportion of Water. admitted. The acid in the tank N will becooled to about 100 Fahrenheit and will be brought back to thesupply-tank G by the pump Z. The valveI is set manually at the beginningof the operation; but the ordinary regulation of the acid-supply to theabsorption-tower is effected by the oat q, acting in connection with thepump Z, as described. It will therefore be understood that there ispractically the same body of acid circulating continuously from theabsorption-tower to the cooling-tank N, the regulating-tank Q, and thesupplytank G. As this body of acid absorbs anhydrid, and accordinglyacquires an increased strength, a portion of such strong acid isseparated to form the product of the plant, While the remainder of thestrong acid is again diluted, cooled, and returned to the supply-tank. Ihave found that this is a very economical procedure and that very littlepower is required to bring about the circulation of the absorbing-acid.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a plant for the manufacture of liquid acid according to theabsorption process, the

combination of an absorber, having an inlet for the absorbing medium andanother inlet for the medium to be absorbed, also an outlet for theabsorption product, a tank for receiving the absorption product, aregulatortank arranged to receive a portion of the absorption product, avalve controlling the outow of the remaining portion of the absorptionproduct from the receiving-tank, means controlled by the variations inthe level of the liquid in the regulator-tank, for governing the saidvalve,means for diluting thatportion of the absorption product whichpasses to the regulator-tank, a supply-tank connected to the absorber tosupply the absorbing medium thereto, and means for transferring theliquid from the regulator-tank to the supply-tank.

2. In a plant for the manufacture of acid according to the absorptionprocess, an agbsorber having an inlet for the absorbing medium, another.inlet for the medium to be absorbed, also an outlet for the absorptionproduct, a supply-tank from which the absorbing medium is conveyed tothe absorber, a receiving-tank into Which the absorption product isdischarged, a regulator-tank arranged to receive a portion of theabsorption product from said receiving-tank, means for diluting thatportion of the absorption product which passes to the regulator-tank, adevice for conveying liquid from the regulator-tank to the supply-tank,and a controller governing the action of said conveying device anditself governed by the variations in the level of the liquid in thesupply-tank.

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3. In a plant for the manufacture of acid 4 according to the absorptionprocess, an absorber having an inlet for the absorbing medium, an inletfor the medium to be absorbed, and an outlet for the absorption product,a receiving-tank having two compartments, one of which is adapted toreceive the overflow from the other into which the absorption product isdischarged, a regulator-tank connected with the overflow-compartment ofthe receiving-tank, a cooler interposed in the connection of thereceiving-tank with the regulatortank,means for diluting that portion ofthe absorption product which overflows and passes to the regulator-tank,a valve controlling the outfiow of the absorption product from thatcompartment of the receiving-tank into which the absorption product isdischarged, means controlled by the variations in the level of theliquid in the regulator-tank, for governing the position of said valve,and a device for conveying the liquid from the regulatortank back to theabsorber.

4. In a plant for the manufacture of acid according to the absorptionprocess, an absorber having an inlet for the absorbing med dium, aninlet for the medium to be absorbed,

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and an outlet for the absorption product, a receiving-tank into whichthe absorption productis discharged, a regulator-tank connected withsaid receiving-tank, means for diluting that portion of the absorptionproduct which passes to the regulator-tank, a valve by means of which aportion of the absorption product may be discharged directly from thereceiving-tank, means controlled by the variations in the level of ltheliquid in the regulatortank, for governing the position of said valve soas to regulate the proportion of absorption product discharged directlyfrom the receiving-tank to that passing to the regulator-tank, and meansfor conveying the liquid from the regulator-tank back to the absorber.

5. In a plant for the manufacture of acid according to the absorptionprocess, an absorber having an inlet for the absorbing medium, anotherinlet for the medium to be absorbed, and an outlet for the absorptionproduct, a receiving-tank into which the absorption product isdischarged, a regulator-tank to which a portion of the absorptionproduct is conveyed from the receiving-tank, means for diluting andcooling that portion of the absorption product which passes to theregnlator-tank, a valve by means of which a portion of the absorptionproduct may be Withdrawn from the receiving-tank Without passing to theregulator-tank, means located Within the regulator-tank and controlledby the variations in the level of the liquid therein, for governing theposition .of said valve, and means for conveying the liquid from theregulator-tank back to the absorber.

6. In a plant for the manufacture of acid acccording to the absorptionprocess, an absorber havingan inlet for the absorbing medium, anotherinlet for the medium to be absorbed, and an outlet for the absorptionproduct, a receiving-tank into which the absorp` tion product isdischarged, a valve controlling an outlet from said receiving-tank, aregulator-tank connected with the receivingtank to receive a portion ofthe absorption product, means for diluting that portion of theabsorption product which passes to the regulator-tank, and meanscontrolled by variations in the level of the liquid in theregulator-tank for governing the position of the said valve.

7. In a plant for the manufacture of acid according to the absorptionprocess, an absorber having an inlet for the absorbing medium, anotherinlet for the medium to be absorbed, and an outlet for the absorptionproduct, a regulator-tank arranged to receive a portion of theabsorption product, means for diluting said portion of the absorptionproduct, a supply-tank connected With the inlet of the absorbing mediumto the absorber, a conveying device for transferring the diluted liquidfrom the regulator-tank to the supplytank, and a controller for saidconveying device, operated bythe variations in the level of the liquidin the supply-tank.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN B. lltANGlS IIERRESHOFF. Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. J ENKINs, JOHN LofrKA.l

